Why Do Chinese Railway Stations Uniformly Use Red Engraved Fonts for Station Names?
The use of red engraved fonts for station names at Chinese railway stations has become a standardized design in recent years. While some argue it may not complement modern glass-walled architecture, highlight cultural connotations, or meet aesthetic design principles, there are practical and regulatory reasons behind this uniform approach.
The use of red engraved fonts for station names at Chinese railway stations is a result of evolving railway design standards in China over the past couple decades. In the early years of high-speed rail development in China, station name signage varied and often used calligraphic fonts selected by famous artists. However, as the high-speed rail network rapidly expanded, new standards were introduced to improve consistency and legibility.
In 2017, China Railway Corporation issued technical standards (TJ/KH023-2017) that mandated the use of red color and specified font styles for station name signage:
“4.1.5 Station name character The station name characters shall use red color. The red standard color value is: C0 M100 Y100 K0.” (Note: This is the CMYK color space, which converts to pure red (255, 0, 0) in RGB.)
“4.2 Fonts
Chinese characters in railway passenger station identification information shall use Hei Simplified Chinese, English and numbers shall use Arial, and station name characters shall use Fangzheng Engraved_GBK.”
The reasons cited for standardizing on red color include:
-
Red LEDs are the most cost-effective and stable for illuminated signage. Other colors like blue and green are more expensive or require color mixing. Pure red avoids looking too dark while still being eye-catching.
-
Red has strong visibility and is easy to recognize from a distance by travelers of all backgrounds. Avoiding risks of legibility issues is a priority.
-
The engraved font style is highly legible while still having an official and dignified aesthetic suitable for the grand scale of major stations.
While a small number of stations still retain historic calligraphic signage that predates the new standards, virtually all stations built or renovated after 2017 feature the mandated red engraved font station names. Even famous stations like Beijing West and Shanghai Hongqiao use this uniform signage.
Some argue the uniform red engraved font doesn’t allow stations to reflect local culture and character. However, the overriding priority is ensuring station names can be easily read and recognized by the broad population, including those unfamiliar with calligraphic styles. Standardization also improves maintainability and lowers replacement costs over the long run.
As China’s high-speed rail network has become the world’s largest serving tens of millions of passengers daily, consistent and highly legible station signage is seen as essential for efficient operation. The red engraved font station names have become an iconic and unifying design element across China’s ultramodern railway system.